Rescue personnel such as firemen, police, paramedics and others typically rely on portable rescue units which are equipped with tools which are capable of generating the cutting, spreading, and/or closing forces required for opening, ripping, and cutting through crushed metal and the like in order to extricate victims from accidents in which the victim is trapped in a car, trailer, etc. These rescue units are powered by gasoline or electric motors which are capable of generating substantial pneumatic or hydraulic forces which drive specially designed cutting or spreading devices commonly referred to as "jaws of life" devices. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,761 which discloses a rescue cutting tool.
Rescue units typically comprise a positive displacement hydraulic pump which is driven by a power unit such as a gasoline engine. In the case of hydraulic rescue devices, a hydraulic hose line, consisting of a supply line and a return line is connected to the hydraulic pump. Many rescue units are designed to be portable in nature in order to provide for more rapid deployment to an accident site. Therefore, the power unit, the pump and connectors for the hose lines are usually housed in a compact tubular metal flame or cradle that surrounds the power unit and to which the power unit is mounted. In use, the hydraulic hose supply and return lines are connected to a rescue tool. A rescue unit may also be equipped for use with more than one hydraulic hose line to allow for the simultaneous use of two or more rescue tools.
When not in use, portable rescue units are usually stored in a compartment on a rescue vehicle. The associated hydraulic hoses are typically coiled and placed on a hook that is attached to the rescue unit. In other cases, the hose is simply placed loosely into the storage compartment along with the portable rescue unit, or is strapped to the portable rescue unit frame through accessory cords. However, improper hose management and storage methods, such as the above, can result in kinks or compression in the hose, abrasions to the hose, and other damage, such as from burns when the hose rests against a hot component of the power unit. Damaged hose may result in a malfunction or failure of the rescue tool during an emergency situation. These forms of hose storage also require significantly longer periods of time for deployment and untangling of the hose for use at an accident scene. For example, where the hose is stored as a loose coil, in order to set up and operate the portable rescue unit at an accident, the hose must be removed from the storage compartment, uncoiled and untangled over the length of the hose, and the supply and return hose lines hooked to the connections at both the pump and at the rescue tool device. Uncoiling and untangling the hose lines and making the proper connections can take several additional minutes before the rescue tool can be placed in operation.
Although reel-type hose storage systems are available, such as those manufactured by Hannay Reels (Westerlo, N.Y.), this type of hose management system is not particularly suitable for use with portable rescue units due to its size and weight. Moreover, reel-type hose storage devices are relatively expensive and contain numerous moving parts that can wear out or break. U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,533 discloses a reel-type water hose winding apparatus that can be carried and operated by an individual.
As can be understood from the above, there remains a need in the art for a more efficient means of storage for hoses and lines associated with portable power units used with rescue tools and the like. The compact, lightweight hose storage apparatus of the present invention advantageously provides for reduced damage to hydraulic hoses, and for rapid deployment and efficient storage of hoses and lines. In addition, the hose storage apparatus can be inexpensively manufactured and readily adapted to commercially available rescue units.